A study released last week ranks Trigg County as the 34th healthiest county in Kentucky, missing the top quarter by just four slots.

The study was conducted by the Kentucky Institute of Medicine and is called “The Health of Kentucky: A County Assessment.” The findings of the study were determined by a set of risk factors that were meant to approximate a composite picture of each of Kentucky’s 120 counties when taken as a whole. Risk factors were grouped in the categories of behavioral and social factors, demographics, health access and health outcomes. Rates were also provided for types of cancer, the report’s executive summary page stated.

“Trigg County’s overall health status is positive,” reads the county assessment on page 138 of the 186-page document. “Strengths include a low percentage of uninsured residents, a relatively high per capita income level and low number of deaths due to breast cancer.”

The report went on to say that the physical activity of the county’s adult population has helped foster a low prevalence of obesity and a stable, low diabetes rate. It recommends that community leaders take several approaches to further minimize health risks. These include more screenings for prostate and colorectal cancer, so they can be detected and treated early.

The report lists smoking as another problem. The rate of smokers in Trigg County is 27 percent. This is below the state average of 29 percent, but above the national average of 21 percent.